Category: California

California’s Homelessness Can be Fixed by Changing These 2 Policies: District Attorney

California continues to pour billions of dollars into addressing the state’s burgeoning homeless population, but that won’t solve the problem, according to the district attorney for El Dorado County, located east of Sacramento. The state’s drug and crime policies are mostly to blame, District Attorney Vern Pierson told California Insider in “Why Homelessness is California…


Anaheim Gets $5 Million for Traffic Improvements

Anaheim has received $5 million as of June 26 in federal funding for five transportation improvement projects as part of infrastructure legislation approved last year. Local leaders anticipate the projects will have significant local and regional impacts by improving transportation safety, equity, and access for local residents, according to a press release by Rep. Lou…


Pair Sentenced for Burglarizing LA Mayor Karen Bass’s Home

LOS ANGELES—Two men who broke into the home of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and stole two revolvers were each handed state prison terms on June 27. Patricio Munoz, 43, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Juan Espinoza, 25, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars. The pair were each originally charged last…


Amtrak Train With 198 Passengers Derails After Hitting Truck on Tracks in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying nearly 200 passengers struck a county water truck and derailed on Wednesday in Southern California, critically injuring the truck’s driver, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. Fourteen people on the train…


Amtrak Train With 190 Passengers Derails After Colliding With Vehicle in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif.—An Amtrak train carrying 190 passengers derailed Wednesday after striking a truck on tracks in Southern California, and only minor injuries were reported, authorities said. Three of the train’s seven cars went off the tracks following the collision in Moorpark, said Ventura County Fire Department Captain Brian McGrath. The number of people hurt wasn’t…


California Man Defrauded $9 Million From Investors in Cow Manure Green Energy Scheme

A California man was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for running a “green energy” Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors of almost $9 million, according to a June 26 press release from the Department of Justice. Ray Brewer, 66, of Porterville, in California’s Central Valley, defrauded investors of $8,750,000 with farm tours and…


Regulatory Haze Fogs California Cannabis Policies

Commentary After voters passed Proposition 64 in 2016, California cities were supposed to play the key role legalizing and regularizing the use and sale of marijuana. The reality has been hazy. Although this has been controversial, it remains state law. Some cities are meeting the needs of their people; some are not. But the federal…


City in Indiana Pays Remote Workers $5,000-Plus to Move There, Attracting Californians and Others

Californians have yet another reason to move out of state, as cities like Noblesville, Indiana partner with the company MakeMyMove to attract new residents. MakeMyMove, which specializes in helping remote workers relocate, partnered with the city of Noblesville to bring talent to Indiana and attract remote workers to become residents of the city. The partnership…


British Actor Julian Sands Confirmed Dead, Months After Vanishing in California Mountains

LOS ANGELES—British-born actor Julian Sands, best known for his role in the Oscar-celebrated film “A Room with a View,” was confirmed dead on Tuesday, five months after he went missing while out for a hike in snow-covered mountains of Southern California. He was 65. Mostly skeletal human remains discovered by hikers on June 25, in…


California Budget Deal Numbers Don’t Add Up

Commentary The budget deal hammered out June 27 by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom achieved its major purpose: Getting him through the current budget cycle until next year’s Democratic presidential primaries. Of course, that may not matter. President Biden might take one of those rejuvenating potions they advertise for seniors on late-night TV, while…